Aylesbury Grammar School 11+ Guide

About Aylesbury Grammar School

Aylesbury Grammar School is a selective secondary school in Buckinghamshire. For children to get into Aylesbury Grammar School they need to pass the school's 11+ entrance test. Hence, Aylesbury Grammar School is a traditional grammar school, one of only 163 remaining in England.

Nestled in the heart of Buckinghamshire, Aylesbury Grammar School is an esteemed all-boys grammar school with a rich history of academic excellence. With a student body of approximately 1,260, the school fosters a vibrant and inclusive learning environment through its six-house system, which includes Denson, Hampden, Lee, Paterson, Philips, and Ridley. This structure promotes a strong sense of camaraderie, healthy competition, and belonging among the students.

Aylesbury Grammar School takes immense pride in its comprehensive curriculum, encompassing core subjects, humanities, and the arts. The school's internal awards system, which recognizes students' achievements with Colours, Honours, or Learning Honours at the end of each term, serves as a powerful motivator, encouraging pupils to strive for excellence in all their endeavors. Alongside academic pursuits, the school places great emphasis on extracurricular activities, offering a wide array of clubs and projects, such as orchestra, debating, jazz bands, chess, drama, and film club, which take place during lunchtime or after school.

The school is renowned for its outstanding sports provision, boasting exceptional facilities and a track record of national success in various sports. Aylesbury Grammar School's commitment to nurturing well-rounded individuals is evident in its mission to help each student realize their full potential and develop essential qualities such as empathy, responsibility, and respect for the community. This dedication to excellence is reflected in the school's consistently high academic standards, with pupils achieving impressive results in GCSE and A-level exams, solidifying its position among the top grammar schools in the country.

Aylesbury Grammar School maintains a close partnership with the local girls' grammar school, Aylesbury High School, fostering a collaborative and inclusive educational environment. The school's unwavering commitment to providing equal opportunities for all students to flourish, coupled with its outstanding Ofsted rating, is a testament to its exceptional quality of education and the supportive learning environment it provides.

School Information

Below you will find further information about Aylesbury Grammar School together with their admissions contact details.

Aylesbury Grammar School is a boys only school. It is also an academy, meaning the school is run independently by a trust or sponsor and is directly funded by the central government (not the local authority).

In total 1,332 pupils attend Aylesbury Grammar School and it's led by the Headmaster, Mr Mark Sturgeon.

Aylesbury Grammar School Location

Below you will find a map showing the school's location:

GCSE & A-Level Subjects

Below you will find a complete list of GCSE and A-Level subjects offered to pupils at Aylesbury Grammar School for the 2022-23 academic year.

Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) Information

In order to get into Aylesbury Grammar School, children need to pass the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT). This 11+ test is written by GL Assessment for use by the school's admissions process.

Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) Subjects & Structure

The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) requires children to complete tests in the following subjects:

• English comprehension
• Technical English
• Verbal reasoning
• Key Stage 2 maths
• Non-verbal reasoning
• Spatial reasoning

The Secondary Transfer Test is an assessment used for admission into Aylesbury Grammar School. This exam, provided by GL Assessment, aims to evaluate the academic abilities of prospective students across various disciplines. The test is divided into two distinct papers, each lasting for one hour.

The first paper concentrates on verbal skills, assessing the candidate's proficiency in English comprehension, technical English, and verbal reasoning. These sections are designed to gauge the student's ability to understand and analyze written passages, grasp complex language, and draw logical conclusions based on given information.

The second paper focuses on mathematical and non-verbal skills. This includes Key Stage 2 maths, which tests the candidate's knowledge of essential mathematical concepts and problem-solving abilities. The non-verbal reasoning and spatial reasoning sections assess the student's capacity to recognize patterns, solve puzzles, and manipulate shapes and figures mentally. These skills are considered crucial indicators of a child's potential to excel in various academic subjects.

Other Schools using Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT)

As well as Aylesbury Grammar School, several other schools also use Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT). These are:

• Aylesbury High School
• Beaconsfield High School
• Burnham Grammar School
• Chesham Grammar School
• Dr Challoner's Grammar School
• Dr Challoner's High School
• John Hampden Grammar School
• Royal Latin School
• Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
• Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
• The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe
• Wycombe High School

Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as Aylesbury Grammar School is that only children with particularly high marks are admitted. Hence why it is important that children perform well in their 11+ papers.

Different schools (and different 11+ tests) have different marking processes. Some tests are marked in person, some remotely, while others utilise computer-based optical recognition technologies for quickly marking multiple-choice answer sheets.

Many 11+ tests are age-standardised to ensure younger children are not disadvantaged (i.e. their marks may be moderated depending on the month in which they were born). While creative writing papers can be used as tie-breakers, multiple-choice tests in Maths, Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning normally make up the bulk of a child's marks. The specific details and weightings can vary from year to year.

It's worth remembering that once children's 11+ tests are being marked, the admissions process is completely outside of the parents' control. Hence, parents should not worry themselves about whether their child has got a place!

Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) Pass Mark

The pass mark for the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) changes every year and isn't generally made public knowledge. This is due to the academic strength of the children taking the test varying and how challenging the test ends up being (as well as plenty of other smaller variables).

Hence, as a vague rule-of-thumb, it's recommended that children aim for roughly 75-80% in their practice tests. Whilst this won't guarantee them a place at Aylesbury Grammar School, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) Key Dates for your Diary

Here are all the important dates for the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) tests (to get into Aylesbury Grammar School) as well as other relevant dates.

Although the utmost care has been taken to gather these dates, parents should treat them as a guide and check with Aylesbury Grammar School as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

Aylesbury Grammar School was last inspected by Ofsted on 02/11/2022 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 14/12/2022, declaring that the school was 'Outstanding'. This information is summarised in the table below along with a link to the full report.

Last Ofsted Report Data

Ofsted Report Summary

Aylesbury Grammar School received an Outstanding rating in its recent Ofsted inspection on 2 November 2022. The school demonstrated exceptional performance across all areas evaluated, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision.

The inspection report highlights the school's outstanding quality of education, indicating that students receive a high-quality learning experience. The school's approach to fostering positive behaviour and attitudes among students was also deemed outstanding, creating an environment conducive to learning and personal growth. Additionally, the school's commitment to personal development was recognized as outstanding, ensuring that students receive well-rounded support and guidance.

The leadership and management at Aylesbury Grammar School were also rated as outstanding, demonstrating effective governance and a clear vision for the school's success. Furthermore, the sixth form provision was found to be outstanding, providing students with excellent opportunities for further education and personal development.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for Aylesbury Grammar School per subject. Note that this may include children taking GCSEs early (e.g. taking a language GCSE in Year 10) or indeed a child in Year 12 retaking a GCSE.

GCSE Results Information (2022-23)

A-Level Results Information (2022-23)

Past 11+ Paper Downloads

Unfortunately, Aylesbury Grammar School has not made any of their past 11+ papers publicly available.

Practice 11+ Paper Downloads

Here are some superb free 11+ practice papers that children can download and use to help prepare for the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) Ensure you double-check with Aylesbury Grammar School which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.